PBKS, buoyed by a recent victory over five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI), aim to maintain their unbeaten streak, while LSG look to improve after winning two of their five matches.

After five games, PBKS openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh lead IPL opening pairs with an average of 48.50, featuring two half-century stands in four completed innings. In contrast, LSG's opening pair of Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram have yet to record a fifty between them, according to ESPNCricinfo.

LSG's overall batting average this season stands at 19.8, the lowest among all teams. The top-order batsmen - Marsh (115 runs in five innings at an average of 23.00 with a strike rate exceeding 132 and best score of 40), Markram (120 runs in five matches at 14.00 average with a strike rate over 151 and best of 45), Rishabh Pant (104 runs at an average of 26.00 with strike rate above 122 and best score 68*), and Nicholas Pooran (42 runs at 8.40 average, strike rate over 76 with a top score of 19) - have collectively managed only one fifty.

LSG has been the second-slowest scoring side in the tournament with a run rate of 8.1, whereas PBKS ranks as the second-best with a run rate of 10.9.

Despite batting difficulties, LSG's bowling unit, led by Mohammed Shami and supported by Prince Yadav, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi, and M Siddarth, has maintained an economy rate of 8.11, the best among all teams this season.

Since finishing as runners-up in 2025, PBKS have won nine of 11 matches while chasing targets. Their captain Shreyas Iyer, nicknamed ‘Sarpanch Sahab,’ has been pivotal in successful chases, accumulating 447 runs in nine innings at an average of 89.40 and a strike rate of 181.7, including six half-centuries.

Squads:

Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (w), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Mitchell Owen, Vishal Nishad, Pyla Avinash, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Lockie Ferguson, Praveen Dubey, Ben Dwarshuis.

Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary (w), Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, George Linde, Himmat Singh, Josh Inglis, Anrich Nortje, Manimaran Siddharth, Matthew Breetzke, Mohsin Khan, Arjun Tendulkar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Maharaj Singh, Mayank Yadav, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari.